Window envelope machine



Sept. 28, 1954 .1. HALAHAN EI'AL WINDOW ENVELOPE MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 12 INVENTORS JOHN HALAHAN THEODORE I ARONSON FLOYD A- LYON BY ATTORNEY P 28, 1954 J. HALAHAN EIAL WINDOW ENVELOPE MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1950 M N5 S @Mwm Y TAR E LAL/ N WMA R O VNMD v1 W ov, T wwm F m 4 Sept. 28, 1954 J HALAHAN r 2,690,102

WINDOW ENVELOPE MACHINE Filed April 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 51v VEL 0P5 N0 ENVELOPE J/VSl/V6 MEMBER INVENTORS JOHN HALA HAN THEODORE FAROIVSDN BY FLOYD A.LYON

Patented Sept. 28, 1954 2,690,102 WINDOW ENVELOPE MACHINE John Halahan, Jackson Heights, Theodore F. Aronson, Valley Stream, and Floyd A. Lyon,

Brookville, N. Y.,

New York assignors Co. Inc., New York, N.

to Berlin .& Jones Y., a corporation 'of Application April 12, 1950, Serial N0. 155,473

4 Claims.

This invention has to do with envelopemaking and more particularly with window envelopes.

Window envelopes are generally of two types. In one type, the window for viewing the address is formed by oiling, or otherwise treating a portion of the opaque envelope to make it translucent or transparent. According to another and ing to the window is cut out of the envelope blank and a patch of transparent material, such as glassine or the like, is stuck over the cut-out portion.

According to the last mentioned method, moist glue is applied around the edges of the cut-out portion of the blank toa point short of where the edges of the glassine patch will extend. It has been found necessary to do this because if the moist glue is permitted to extend up to the point excess glue will be squeezed out when the patch is pressed against the blank. This excess glue may cause portions of the envelope to stick to one another as well as to succeeding envelopes in the machine.

It has also been found that in envelopes manufactured with the glue set back 'from the edges of the patch, there is .a tendency for these free edges of the glassine to .protrude from the body of the envelope and foul matter being into the envelope. This was a serious problem, particularly when automatic insertion equipment was utilized.

In order to overcome these ditficult'ies, it has been proposed to employ thermoplastic adhesives and heat seal the edges of the glass'ine patch to the cut-out portion of the envelope blank. However, such -process requires expensive equipment and slows down the operation of envelope making machines.

According to the present invention, high speed envelope making machines are operated at their standard speed and window patches are fastened over the cut-out portion of an envelope so that the entire contacting surfaces of the ,patch and envelope adhere uniformly to each other without any loose peripheral edges. No :heat employed in sealing the one to the --other.

The mechanism that is the subject of this invention may conveniently be provided "in #theform of an attachment to-a standard machine, and it is in this connection that "it will be described,

According to the invention a highly volatile liquid solvent is applied by a moistening roller to the absorbent surface of a rotating shoe from which the excess moisture is removed by another roller. The shoe then contacts a window patch carried on an applicator. The side of the patch contacted is normally dry but becomes tacky by the action of the solvent. The moistened patch is then applied over the cut-out in an envelope to complete the window forming operation. From there on the blank may be moved on through the existing machinery to be formed into a completed envelope or be subjected to any other desired operation.

According to a feature of the invention the portions of the patch made tacky by the solvent correspond throughout to those portions that will be pressed against the envelope blank, thereby 'insuring that the patch and envelopethroughout their contacting surfaces stick to one another with no loose peripheral edges.

According to another feature of the invention, 'a sensing device is operated in conjunction therewith and if for any reason there is a misfeed of envelope blanks into the machine, a member is operatedto prevent 'moistening of a patch on the applicator.

These and other features of the invention will be described in detail in connection with the following drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the device;

Fig. '2 is a top section;

Fig. "3 is a side elevation of a part of the device opposite from that seen in Fig. 1';

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the operation of the mechanism for preventing the moistening shoe from contacting the patch applicator;

Fig. '5 is a diagram of the electrical circuit to control the mechanism shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. ois'aplan view of a window envelope blank with a patch sealed thereto.

As can best be seen in Fig. 1, a bottle or other container to is suitably supported by a bracket ll upstanding from a sliding plate I2. By means of conduit i3, liquid 14 from bottle 10 is maintained at :a predetermined level in a reservoir t5.

The liquid used is preferably a highly volatile solvent, such as acetone, alcohol, toluene, etc.

A knurled moistening roller l6, mounted on a rotating s'ha'ft I! in side support i8, is partially immersed in liquid 14 in reservoir [5. Above roller [6 a squeeze roller 24 on a rotating shaft plan view of the device partly 'in rests in a side support l9. Forward of rollers it and 24 and extending from a support 21, a rotating shaft 28 supports a shoe 29 connected to the shaft by arms 30 (Fig. 2). The face of shoe 29 is of liquid absorbent material, such as felt, and has a cut-out portion 3i corresponding to the cut-out portion in an envelope blank 9.

The face of shoe 2Q surrounding cut-out portion 3i has substantially the same dimensions as the frame of a window patch in the finished envelope. As employed in this description and claims, the portions of the window patch that are stuck around the cut-off portion in the envelope will be designated as the frame. While rectangularly shaped frames are here disclosed, it should be kept in mind that if the window patch is oblong the frame will be oblong and if a circular patch, the frame will be circular, etc.

Usually, the face of shoe 29 will carry a layer of liquid substantially coextensive with the frame of a patch. In some cases, it may be found de sirable to have the area of the shoe face slightly larger than the frame of the patch so as to be certain that every portion of the patch that is ultimately to come in contact with the body of the envelope will be made tacky. The tacky portions of the patch that are not utilized dry so rapidly that they do not interfere in any way with the manufacture of the envelope. In the prior machines using wet adhesives it was important, as previously pointed out, that a portion less than the frame of the patch be moistened because if the adhesive leaked past the edges of the patch, the envelopes stuck to one another.

While, as here disclosed, shoe 29 is moistened by roller iii and the moistened shoe contacts a patch, other means, such as separate rollers, could be used to apply liquid to the shoe or patch.

If cut-out portion (-il in shoe 2% were eliminated, one whole side of the patch would be moistened. While this process would produce satisfactory window envelopes, it would be wasteful of solvent as well as necessitate slowing down somewhat the operation of the machine in order to permit the relatively large expanse of the window made tacky, but not utilized, to dry.

Side supports l8 and iii are movable about pivots 23 and 25. To maintain suitable resilient contact between shoe 229 and rollers it and 24, springs iii and .2 1, extending from a common stud 22 on support ll, are respectively connected to side supports it, as.

A shaft 33 supports a patch applicator 32 connected to the shaft by a support Ml. A clamp arm 34 extending from shaft fill is pivotally connected to shaft 33. The face of applicator 32 has a plurality of air holes 35 (Fig. 2) along one edge, whereby suction can be provided through connection A l for holding a patch to the applicator in the well-known manner. Applicator support it is resiliently held by 9. depending arm 3'! and a spring 39. A stop screw 12 threaded in the arm Si limits the angular movement of the applicator. A bracket arm 38 is mounted adjacent applicator 3?. and fastened to shaft 33. The bracket operates as one with applicator support All and its function will be later described in connection with the misfeed cycle.

A supply of material suitable for making windows, such as a roll of glassine paper 45, is sup ported on shaft 46. Almost any transparent paper having sufficient strength will serve as the window material, By transparent is here and in the claims meant to include any degree of translucency which permits the address to be easily read. One side of glassine 65 has been previously treated to have a normally dry waterproof adhesive coating, such as shellac. It is not necessary to have a coating on the window material as long as it is chemically constituted that the application of a volatile solvent to its surface will make it temporarily tacky. One such material is ethyl cellulose in which toluene was used as the solvent. Feed roll mechanism ill feeds the end of glassine as towards applicator 32. A patch removing means, e. a knife 13 is intermittently operated to sever a patch of glassine of the proper dimensions which is held by suction with the adhesive side out on applicator 32. The feeding, cutting and applying of a patch are all done in a manner well known to those experienced in the art.

The device is driven from the existing machinery by means of a sprocket chain 5% mounted on one end of main drive shaft 35. As seen in Fig. 3, chain lit engages sprocket wheels mounted on the ends of shafts ll, 25 and 28 to drive rollers i6, 24 and shoe 29. While rollers iii and {it are shown as being driven, it would be possible to eliminate the drive for either or both of them and permit them merely to rotate freely when contacted by shoe 2%). Since the relative position of the shoe and rollers is adjustable, an adjustable idler wheel 52 is included to maintain suitable tautness in chain 50.

Belts 54! and 55 carry envelope blanks 9 into the device in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l. The belts are driven in the well-known manner by wheels 56, Ti and run over a series of idlers 58 and a pressure roller 53.

By means of a slidable frame l2. disposed on bed plate "i i and bar t the distance between the respective axial centers of the moistening shoe 2i! and patch applicator may be adjusted. One end of a screw bolt ll extends through a clearance opening in a boss it fastened to the frame 52 with its free end portion threaded in a suitable nut :lll fastened to bed plate E l. By turning screw ll, it will be seen that frame 52 will be moved relative to plate M to compensate for any reduction in the thickness of the felt facing on the shoe due to its repeated intimate engagement with the patch applicator.

A normal cycle of operation is as follows:

A plurality ofenvelope blanks 9 having cutout portions are carried in a line one after the other by belts 5A, 55. As the blanks enter the device they encounter a sensing member fit of micro-switch 6!. Switch 6! is actuated as long as member 60 can detect the presence of an enve lope blank on its way into the machine.

As shoe 28 is rotated, it is moistened by con tacting the surface of roller it and excess solvent is removed from the face of shoe 29 by squeeze roller 25. Meanwhile applicator 32 has picked up a patch, normally dry adhesive side facing out, whose frame is moistened by contacting shoe 29. The solvent renders the normally dry adhesive side tacky and the patch is immediately pressed around the border of the cut-out portion of an envelope blank which, at that moment, is positioned on pressure roller 53 beneath applicater 32 (dotted line position of applicator, Fig. 1). The frame of the patch is stuck to the envelope without leaving any free edges. If any portions of the patch have been made tacky and are not stuck to the envelope, these portions return to their normally dry state, as the solvent evaporates almost immediately.

In the case of a misfeed (no envelope blanks) accuses member 60,mot being1ableito detect thepresence of an envelope blank,-operates switch 6| which is in circuit witha 'solehoidt? and another microswitch 63 (Fig. 3). Swith 63is operated by cam follower 564 and cam -65 mounted on shaft 28. "Cam 6-5 is "timed -wi-th -respect to applicator 32 so that-switch -63 is operated just after the applic'at'or has pressed a patch against an envelope blank and has-started around -'on a new'cycl'e.

There is connected to solenoid 82 a linkage mechanism comprisin arms "66, 6-1 and a rod 68 attached to one end of arm 6-1 which extends through to the-other si'de o'f the machineas seen in Fig. 1. A lever arm -69 is connected to the other end 0f rod 68 and "hasa for contacting bracket 38 such as roller 10.

the solenoid enerby means of the linkage mechanism and in this pos1tion, roller 10 separates shoe 29 from applicator 32 by engaging bracket 38 (which revolves as one with applicator 32). Applicator 32 is resiliently mounted on support 40 so that roller 10 pushes it back preventing a patch carried on the applicator from being moistened by shoe 29. The dry patch on the applicator is carried down to the lower position, shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4, where it is picked up by pressure roller 53 which has suction applied to its surface by means of holes H. The use of suction in applicator 32 and roller 53 is well known, the suction in the applicator being momentarily shut oil as the applicator meets the pressure roller. This is also true in the normal cycle of operation. The dry patch is carried around on pressure roller 53 until it is engaged by a scraping mechanism 12 with the surface of roller 53 to remove the patch therefrom permitting it to drop into a waste box 13.

Referring to Fig. 5, the electrical circuit con-- trolling the operation of roller 10 in case of a misfeed will be explained.

Sensing member 60, not encountering an envelope blank, close contact of micro-switch 5!. Contact 16 of micro-switch 63 is momentarily closed by cam 65 just as applicator 32 leaves its patch applying position. The feeding of envethe closing of contact 16. A latch circuit is closed from source of power i1, contact 16, contact 15, latch coil 18, contact 80, armature 8| and conductor '82 back to the power supply. Mechanical latch 19 is thereupon opersource of power 11, solenoid 62, contact 85, armature 8|, conductor 82. The subsequent opening of contact 16 does not afiect the operation of the mechanical latch since it can only of unlatch coil 83.

In the normal cycle of operation with an envelope blank contacting member 60, contact 84 is closed and contact 16 is momentarily closed as previously described. Unlatch coil 33 is energized over a circuit which includes contact 16, contact 84, coil 83, contact 85, armature 8| and conductor 82 to source of power 11. The energization of coil '83 releases mechanical latch 19 to close contact 80. The circuit for solenoid 62 is thereby opened and the solenoid deenergized.

Fig. 6 shows envelope blank 9 with a patch 81 applied thereto. It is to be noted that the frame of patch 81 is uniformly stuck to the body of the envelope blank surrounding the cut-out and in inember suitable be unlocked by the energization' particular that iperipheral edges 88 of the patch adhere Lto the blank, and edges 89 of the cut-out portion stick toth'e pa'tch. Furthermore, there is no discoloration "or-disfigurement at the portions of the patch and blank contacting one another.

While-a preferred embodiment of "the invention :has been disclosed, it is to 'be understood that modifications and changes will be suggested to those-skilled in the'art and itis intended to cover all su'h --enibodiments and to limit the invention only as defined in the appended claims.

W hat is claimedis:

l. In a machine for sealing the frame of a transparent patch around a cut-out portion in an envelope, a supply of patches havinga coating of normally dry adhesive on one side, a supply of envelope blanks, a container for a volatile a first rotatable roller in said reservoir, a second rotatable roller positioned above a rotatable shoe having a liquid rial on its face, the shape and area of said face corresponding to the frame of a patch, means for cyclically operating said shoe to contact the first roller and then the second roller to remove solvent therefrom, a resiliently mounted rotatable patch applicator adjacent the shoe, means for contacting relation therewith, and means for moving an envelope blank between said applicator and pressure roller whereby a patch is applied over the cut-out portion in the envelope blank.

2. The device according to claim 1, a pivotally mounted roller adjacent the shoe, a bracket rigidly connected to the applicator and positioned to be engaged by said last-mentioned roller, a sensing member cooperating with the envelope blank moving means to detect the presence or absence of envelopes, a switch controlled by said sensing member, a second switch operated each time the shoe makes a revolution, a solenoid, linkage connecting the solenoid to the pivotally mounted roller, a circuit including said two switches and the solenoid whereby when said first switch is operated by the failure of the sensing member to detect an envelope and when the second switch is operated the circuit is closed and the pivotally mounted roller engages the bracket to movethe applicator clear of the shoe.

3. In a machine for affixing a window patch over a cut-out portion in an envelope blank, a supply of envelope blanks, a supply of window patches having a dry adhesive facing, a reservoir for a volatile liquid solvent, a rotatable shoe provided with a liquid absorbent facing and havpatch on said cap plicator, said shoe and applicator being cyclically coactable for applying solvent to the patch carried by said applicator, means for feeding an envelope said applicator and said roller whereby said window patch is brought into adhering contact with said envelope blank, means for biasing said patch applicator radially out of its normal path of rotation, and a sensing device correlated with said envelope feeding means for actuating said biasing means.

4. The device set forth in claim 3, and in which said biasing means operable by the sensing device comprises a switch controlled by said sensing device, a solenoid, linkage connecting the solenoid to the biasing means, a circuit including the switch and the solenoid whereby when the switch is operated the circuit is closed energizing the solenoid which operates the linkage to move the biasing means into the path of rotation of the patch applicator.

8 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 1,234,512 1,254,666 1,372,223 1,815,365 1,998,701 10 2,061,885 2,087,345 2,129,686 2,178,979 2,198,246 15 2,209,358

Name Date Vierengel July 24, 1917 Ekvall Jan. 29, 1918 Funk Mar. 22, 1921 Snyder July 21, 1931 Berkowitz Apr. 23, 1935 Wensler Nov. 24, 1936 Heywood July 20, 1937 Gray Sept. 13, 1938 Von Hofe et a1. Nov. 7, 1939 Gray Apr. 23, 1940 Smithe et a1 July 30, 1940 

